Even though I am now in retirement, I still have blazed in my mind that Monday is the start of a work week. Maybe I am way off base, (don't think so) but it is not always the most favorite day of the week. There are songs written about how Mondays can feel, such as Just Another Manic Monday, Blue Monday, and Monday, Monday. Not exactly feel good songs, especially if you have to face Monday anyway.
Our schedule just so happens to be one that we must be up and dressed and ready for what is going to happen on Monday morning. It is bitter sweet and we are grateful for being able to have the ability to have two wonderful friends who work as house cleaners come to us first thing on Monday morning. There is no one around who does it better than the two of them. We are both fussy about having a clean house, and used to spend 4 - 5 hours cleaning our town house with less than half the space that we have now. So, yes, we are very grateful for this privilege. Plus, as long as the weather is good, we leave when they arrive to take one of our dogs to Doggie Day Care. The other one is not quite old enough and does not have all of her shots yet. Davis needs to release some of his energy and after a day of playing with his friends, he is pretty much worn out for two days. It is a matter of gratitude (for him and for us). We are grateful to be able to do this for him and to have the younger pup, Maggie Mae, to ourselves for training.
It truly is a case of mind over matter. For myself, I have come up with some things that have helped me cope even better with Mondays. Wherever you work, personalize it for yourself. I work out of our home, so I really have the ability to take care of what makes me happy. If you have some limitations on what you can add to your own work space, then just be a little more creative. Perhaps your screen saver, or a family picture or a picture of someone who makes you smile, a small desk light to help warm up your space vs. the fluorescent lighting that most offices have, and attractive organization boxes for office necessities. Everything in your office should tell a story about you. One of my favorite things that I had (and still do) is a sign that says, "Out of my mind. Be back in 5 minutes." I must admit, that this is how I feel many times.
To know that I have something to look forward to is important. Just as in our everyday lives, working on planning a trip can be as exciting and invigorating as actually going. Planning something for Monday can be just as exciting. You always need something to look forward to. It does not need to be a major event. Maybe just a special kind of coffee to pick up on the way to work, taking a walk outside during your lunch break, or even joining a club that meets on Monday evenings. I was reading a blog by Austin Kleon where he talks about ASGs. This stands for Arbitrary Stupid Goals.
Something that can really make me feel happier is when I think of kindness vs. productivity. I have discovered that through kindness, not only toward others but towards myself, actually increased my productivity. These are little things, really. A simple compliment or smile can turn someone's frumpy morning totally around and this can do the same from within me.
One important thing for me to remember is that it is okay to not be in a good mood all of the time. Don't force it. Knowing that it is unrealistic to be in a good mood 100% of the time, my goal is to work on 95% of the time. My mood elevator may not be on the top floor all 95% of the time, however, how I respond to whatever is bringing me down or set up ways to avoid some of what I can plan with what I want to look forward to can at least move it further up to the top. Life is tough. I came to the realization that it is possible to be in a good mood yet be going through some difficult times. It actually can make it easier to get through the tough times.
Let's do a little reversal here. My Monday starts with getting in my mindset on Sunday night. Instead of the usual, "Oh woe is me...tomorrow is Monday," basically because Sunday late afternoons and evenings were filled with rush, rush, rush. Hurry, let's get the sheets washed and dried and the bed remade. Or cooking a major dinner without going over the recipe beforehand and having specific ingredients and team work for the preparation is not relaxing and is already stressing me out.
That is easy enough to solve by changing the plans around. Do the bed/laundry on Saturday. I love writing, so I changed my Monday blog writing to Sunday. I placed a Jasmine and Patchouli candle on my desk that fills the room with a wonderful aroma and adds to the ambiance of the room. Now that it is summertime...use the pool in the afternoon for relaxing and water jogging. All this means is that I take a later shower. Working the Sunday crossword puzzle or reading. Planning a movie or listening to music with the love of my life is always a relaxing way to end the weekend.
Words that I try to live by: Invest some energy into making Monday and every day something that I can look forward to do and enjoy.
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